Phase One of Heart Hospital Now Open

TYLER — On October 5, Louis and Peaches Owen made a record philanthropic donation of $18 million to Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler to help construct the area’s first stand alone heart hospital. Tuesday, hospital officials unveiled the completion of Phase One of The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, which is located in the Ornelas Tower.

Phase One is a new Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) with twenty-four private rooms for care of cardiac patients. This unit employs the modified universal bed model, allowing all aspects of pre- and post-operative cardiac care to be delivered in one room. As patients progress through the healing process, hospital officials say, the resources of the patient’s room flex to meet the needs of the patient, rather than having the patient move through different units of the hospital. Families are encouraged to participate in the healing process.

Officials also announced the naming of the cardiac intensive care unit as the William Powell, MD, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Powell, now retired, was one of the first heart surgeons to practice at Mother Frances Hospital.

The Owen Heart Hospital will be completed in two phases. Construction of Phase Two begins in the spring of 2011 and should take 18 months to complete. The Heart Hospital will be six stories; include comprehensive cardiac, thoracic and vascular services; and stand east of and adjacent to Mother Frances Hospital.